Nationals visit Cubs with both teams eyeing playoffs

Two teams that have helped themselves in the National League playoff picture with impressive runs of late will take nearly identical records into a three-game showdown beginning Friday afternoon when the Washington Nationals visit the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals (70-57) won for the ninth time in their last 11 games at Pittsburgh on Thursday night, hours after the Cubs (69-58) completed a three-game home sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Left-hander Jon Lester (10-8, 4.23), the Cubs' lone losing pitcher in the earlier series, is slated to pitch the opener for Chicago, which begins the series in first place in the NL Central.